Hell's Kitchen Season 25, Episode 1
Hello everybody!
Would you like me to talk about the new season of Hell’s Kitchen?
Of course you would! Why is that even a question?
For those of you who don’t know, a new season just premiered. But this isn’t just any season. Oh no, it’s the 25th season, which apparently is one of the biggest deals for any show out there, even a yelling show that is disguised as a cooking competition. Seriously, I can think of two other shows that made their 25th seasons a big deal, because they are shows that nobody cares about. America’s Funniest Home Videos and The Jerry Springer Show. Yes, they actually made a big deal out of Jerry Springer’s 25th season, even going so far as to literally show flashbacks and highlights of older episodes, which funny enough, is also what happened in the Season Premiere of Hell’s Kitchen.
To honor this truly historic occasion, they chose to have the gimmick of the season coincide with it. What I mean is that for this season, all the contestants are 25 years old or younger. Because nothing can be simple these days, and every show needs to have a gimmick to its season, or certain episodes need to have gimmicks.
Now that I have hopefully explained the basic setup to all of you, I can finally get into the actual episode!
For some reason, the show opened with an intro from a narrator that made the show seem more grand and epic than it really is. I don’t get it either.
After its truly bizarre grandiose intro, all the chefs arrived at Foxwoods Resort Casino, where the show would be filmed again, and made their way to some theater there. While they were sitting in the audience, almost all the past winners made their way out to the stage. I say almost all the past winners, because it wasn’t all of them. Obviously. I don’t know, maybe some of them were too busy, maybe some of them are not on good terms with the show or Chef Ramsay? Who knows? And more importantly, who cares?
Chef Ramsay then came out, and after some introductions that were meant to inspire the contestants, he said that the winner of the season would become his head chef at Hell’s Kitchen at Foxwoods Resort Casino, with a salary of $250,000. Okay, does this guy really not have any other job opportunities for the contestants? Because this is basically the same prize that he offered the winning contestants for the last two seasons.
From there, Chef Ramsay told the chefs that they had 15 minutes to make their Signature Dishes. The contestants obviously had some problems with this amount of time, because it’s barely enough time to make the Garnishes for an Entree, let alone an entire dish, and Chef Ramsay tried to “justify” this by telling the chefs that they were younger and more talented, before ultimately telling them that they had 45 minutes. What even was the point of this?
And then, in a truly cringeworthy moment, Chef Ramsay spoke to the contestants in way that they would understand, being from Gen Z, saying that he wanted the dishes “__________in’ bussin’ man.” And in a bizarre turn of events, this wasn’t the most cringeworthy moment in the episode of Chef Ramsay trying to relate to Gen Z.
As always, there were a total of eighteen chefs competing, with nine chefs on The Red Team being women, and nine chefs on The Blue Team being men.
From there, all the chefs began making their Signature Dishes.
Once 45 minutes was up, it was time for Chef Ramsay to taste their dishes. As always, the teams went head to head, with each dish being scored on a scale of 1 to 5.
Diego from The Blue Team presented his dish first, which was a Soy Honey Skirt Steak with Jalapeño Masa Biscuit, Chorizo Bechamel, and Pickled Tomatillos, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like. I’m sorry that you don’t have a perfect view of it, but this is literally the only shot of it in the entire episode.
Chef Ramsay immediately said that the Biscuits were delicious, and the cook on the Steak was perfect, and he ended up giving Diego’s dish a 5 out of 5, and I think this might be the first time he gave the first dish of the Signature Dish Challenge a 5 out of 5.
Up next was Georgiana from The Red Team, who told Chef Ramsay that she dropped down to a Line Cook, but she was an Executive Chef for a year and a half. Chef Ramsay then immediately noticed that she had an accent, and asked where it was from, to which Georgiana responded that she was from Romania, and had been in the U.S. for nine years, and currently lives in Kansas City. Chef Ramsay was clearly perplexed by how someone can go from Romania to Kansas City, to which she responded that she grew up in Romania in an orphanage that was funded by a group of Americans that are based in Kansas City, and their goal was to bring them there to study, and get a high school education, and she ended up staying there. Chef Ramsay then asked her what her first impression of Kansas City was, to which she immediately responded that she thought it was boring. Chef Ramsay then asked her what she thought of the name Patrick Mahomes, because he totally knows how to relate to Gen Z guys, even though he is going to be 60 years old very soon.
Georgiana then explained that her Signature Dish was a Pan Seared Duck Breast with a Carrot Puree, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay then said that the Duck needed to have rested a tad longer, but he still ended up giving the dish a 4 out of 5.
Up next was Mike from The Blue Team, who made a Spice Crusted Duck with a Vanilla Parsnip Puree and Blood Orange Reduction, which is another dish I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like. Also, yes, another chef cooked a dish with Duck.
Chef Ramsay immediately pointed out that there was still a lot of white fat on the Duck, but he did say that it was seasoned beautifully, and the puree was great, but because he didn’t render the fat, he gave the dish a 4 out of 5, which I find to be very high for such a mistake. Normally, this would result in him giving the dish a 3 or a 2 out of 5. Has Chef Ramsay really become more forgiving of mistakes that would typically ruin an entire dish for him?
Up next was Joy from The Red Team, who Chef Ramsay asked to give an insight to the beginning of her culinary journey. She then explained that she grew up in a traditional Chinese American household, and her family was disappointed in her choice of career, as they were expecting her to be a lawyer or a doctor, and it was hard for them to believe in her at first, so she worked her way from the bottom to the top, starting at a small local brunch place, and then ending up at a Michelin Star restaurant in D.C.
She then presented her Signature Dish to Chef Ramsay, which was a Pan Seared Duck Breast that was dusted in Fennel and Chinese Five Spice and served with a Sweet Potato Puree and Red Wine Reduction, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Also, for those of you keeping track at home, that is now THREE chefs whose Signature Dish was Duck Breast. Do they not realize that there’s other proteins out there in the world? That there is other food out there that can be considered fancy?
Before Chef Ramsay actually said what he thought about the dish, the show did the thing they always do, where they show him saying random isolated phrases that could either mean the dish is good or the dish is bad. Unfortunately for the show, I have been watching for long enough to know that the dish was going to end up being great. And sure enough, I was right. Chef Ramsay said that the only problem he had with the dish was that Joy’s parents couldn’t taste it, and he gave the dish a 5 out of 5.
Up next was Nadia from The Red Team, who made a Seared Branzino with a Courgette Puree, Blistered Tomatoes, and a Beurre Blanc. For those of you who don’t know, Courgette is another name for Zucchini. I would not be willing to try this dish because Fish. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay said that the Fish was cooked beautifully, but it’s hard when you serve Beurre Blanc on top of a Puree, as it basically blends into one. He then ended up giving the dish a 3 out of 5.
Up next was Miguel from The Blue Team. Chef Ramsay asked him what his dream was, and Miguel said it was to be a house husband. Yes, you read that correctly. That’s literally what he actually said his dream was. He then explained that he wanted to cook good food to keep his now-fiancee very happy.
He then presented his Signature Dish, which was Salmon Cakes with Gochujang Aioli and Scallion Salad with Crispy Salmon Skin, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay said that they were seared beautifully, and the Gochujang was beautiful, and then he told Miguel that if he cooked like that, he was going to be a wasted house husband, and he gave the dish a 5 out of 5.
Nadia then summed this up by saying “Oh my gosh, I just lost to a house husband.” That’s a sentence that has only been said by a handful of people in history. Those people are Nadia, me writing this blog post, and the few of you that are actually reading this.
Up next was Haley from The Red Team. She explained that she was from Orlando, and she was currently not in a restaurant, but she does bottle service in a nightclub, and the most senior position she has had in a restaurant is a Sous Chef.
She then explained that her Signature Dish is Coconut Crusted Salmon with Coconut Curry Veloute and Soy Bok Choy with Pickled Red Chilis. Again, I do not think that I would want to try this dish because Fish. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay then said that the Salmon was glistening beautifully, and he gave Haley’s dish a 4 out of 5.
Up next was Miles from The Blue Team, who made a Sweet Spice Crusted Lamb, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay said that the Lamb was overcooked, which was a shame because the flavors worked beautifully, so he gave Miles’ dish a 3 out of 5.
Her Signature Dish was a Cajun Surf & Turf with Parmesan Grits and a Charred Corn Succotash, which is a dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay immediately said that he loved the colors that popped on the dish, and the cook on the Ribeye was beautiful, and he gave Mya’s dish a 5 out of 5.
Up next was Dylan from The Blue Team. He said that his culinary journey started when he was applying for colleges, and he applied for culinary school as a backup, and he then realized that he had a passion for it.
His Signature Dish was a Pan Seared Trout with Roasted Cauliflower, Potatoes, and a Caper Brown Butter Lemon Sauce. Again, I would not want to try the Trout because Fish, but I would absolutely try the Garnishes. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay immediately said that the only thing missing on the plate was Acid, which was present in the form of the Capers, but an insufficient amount, and he then said that when anyone makes Beurre Noisette, it’s the Lemon Juice that stops the Butter from going too dark, but he still gave the dish a 4 out of 5. I’m going to be completely honest, I was fully expecting Dylan to get a 3 out of 5 for his dish. And that was on the rewatch. I had already seen the episode, and forgot certain important parts, so this is going to be an interesting show to write about.
Up next was Valentin from The Blue Team, who made Poached Lobster and Handmade Gnocchi, which is a dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay immediately called out the fact that the Gnocchi was bland and had no seasoning, and he gave Valentin’s dish a 2 out of 5. By the way, this was the lowest score anybody got during the Signature Dish Challenge. Nobody made a dish that got a 1 out of 5. Just thought I’d get that out of the way right now, and disappoint all of you that are hoping for a train wreck with some of these dishes.
Up next was Jeyda from The Red Team, and her Signature Dish was Blackened Salmon with a Crawfish Cream Sauce and Grilled Broccolini, which is not a dish that I would be willing to try because Fish. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay immediately said that the Sauce was delicious, and presumably everything else in the dish was good, because he ended up giving the dish a 4 out of 5.
Up next was Sandra from The Red Team. She explained that her passion for cooking started with her grandmother, when she was 4 or 5 years old, and she was such an inspiration for her that she has a tattoo on her arm for her that is written in Italian. Chef Ramsay then asked Sandra what her specialty was and what she cooked the best, to which she responded that she cooked Salmon and Seafood the best, so naturally Chef Ramsay was expecting to see Branzino as her Signature Dish.
And then, in a serious bait and switch moment, Sandra then revealed that her Signature Dish was Moroccan Spiced Lamb with Couscous, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay was clearly perplexed by this choice of dish, even telling Sandra “You set me up for something delicious,” which I am just going to assume is a statement that would ordinarily get someone cancelled, given the context of what he was talking about.
Sandra then explained that she loved Moroccan Food and Middle Eastern Food growing up in New York City.
Chef Ramsay then asked her how long she cooked the Couscous for, and because I know exactly how these shows work, I knew the answer was going to be not long enough. Sure enough, I was right, and Sandra’s dish ended up getting a 2 out of 5.
Up next was Jonny G from The Blue Team. He explained that he is from Haiti and is living in Michigan, and he works at ResLife Church as a banquet chef.
His Signature Dish was a Haitian Jerk Spiced Hanger Steak with a Pikliz, Sungold Tomato Salsa, and Fried Sweet Plantains, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay really loved the dish, and then gave the cringiest moment of the entire episode. He said that he felt the dish could have been a 6-7, and even did the hand gestures as he was saying that, and all I’m thinking at this point is, “Gordo, you’re almost 60 years old, stop trying to relate to the current generation.” But yeah, he gave Jonny G’s dish a 5 out of 5.
Up next was Kylie from The Red Team, and her Signature Dish was Brown Butter Dashi Seared Scallops with Corn Espuma, Sake Pickled Blueberry Compote, and Caviar. I would be willing to eat the Scallops, but every other component of the dish just sounds awful to me. Maybe I would enjoy the Corn Espuma, but I would not be willing to try any of the other Garnishes. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay said that the sear on the Scallops was beautiful, but he was confused by the inclusion of the Blueberries and the Caviar, as he would have gone with one or the other, but he still gave Kylie’s dish a 4 out of 5.
Up next was Gabe from The Blue Team, who made Coconut Rice and Peas with Snapper Escabeche. I would not be willing to try the Snapper, but I would be willing to try the Coconut Rice and Peas. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Also, here’s a fun fact. This moment in time is when I learned that the Caribbean dish Rice and Peas was not made with Peas, but with Kidney Beans. And I found that out after Gabe and Chef Ramsay called the dish by two different names, which were Rice and Peas, and Rice and Beans.
Chef Ramsay said that the Rice and Beans were delicious, and he loved the acid from the Peppers, but the Snapper was slightly overcooked, so he gave Gabe’s dish a 3 out of 5.
Up next was Reni from The Red Team. She started off by saying that her four year old daughter is her inspiration for life, and then she said that she relaxes by riding motorcycles. And then she also said that her four year old daughter also has a dirt bike. Okay, sure, that makes perfect sense.
Her Signature Dish was a Seared Halibut with Vodka Sauce Gnocchi. I would not be willing to try one half of this dish, but I would absolutely eat the other half of this dish, and I’m not going to specify any further, because you should already know exactly what I am talking about. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Chef Ramsay asked Reni if the Gnocchi was handmade, to which she responded that it wasn’t, which is one of the worst things you can do during the Signature Dish Challenge. He then said that the Fish was cooked beautifully, was glistening, and was seasoned beautifully, but the Gnocchi brought the dish down considerably, so he gave the dish a 3 out of 5. Fun fact: That is the highest score he has ever given a dish that used boxed or canned ingredients, as in the earlier seasons where the challenge was point-based, he wouldn’t give these dishes a point, and when he switched over to a scale of 1 to 5, every dish made without fresh ingredients always got a 1 out of 5.
This meant that The Red Team had finished the challenge with a total of 34 points.
Last up for The Blue Team was Aiden, who named and described his dish as Ponu’s Pork Chop, as Ponu was the first culinary nickname he ever got, as he was poor and he was new when he got hired, and his favorite Meat to cook is Pork.
The dish that he made was a Pork Chop with a Canarian Red Mojo Sauce and Pickled Strawberry Mash, which is a dish that I might consider trying. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.
Also, when he first said that he was using Strawberries in a savory dish, I knew that there were only two possible outcomes. Either the dish would be one of the worst things ever made, or it would shockingly be one of the best dishes ever made. There was no possibility of anything in between. And sure enough, my theory proved to be correct, as Chef Ramsay gave the dish a 5 out of 5, which meant that The Blue Team had won the challenge.
For their reward, The Blue Team went to a VIP Dinner with the Hell’s Kitchen winners, and Chef Ramsay joined them as well, except we barely got to see any of it, because they showed only a few of the past winners talking to the contestants before they all just left.
Meanwhile, The Red Team was punished and had to do manual labor that consisted of making Hell’s Kitchen Gift Baskets, all of which would be filled with Homemade Jams. While this was happening, it was revealed that Jeyda was wearing sandals in the kitchen, which is one of the worst things you can do in a kitchen. And things did not get much better for her, as she did not know how to do accurate cup measurements, and she also pronounced Oregano the same way that Chef Ramsay pronounces it.
After that, Chef Ramsay called all the chefs into the Dining Room, and called out the two lowest scoring chefs in the Signature Dish Challenge, who were Sandra and Valentin, and he said that he was going to do something he had never done before. And from there, the episode ended on a cliffhanger. They made it seem like he was going to eliminate them right then and there, but I had watched enough episodes in the past to know for a fact that wasn’t what was going to happen. In fact, at the start of the next episode, what really happened could not have been more anticlimactic.
After that, they showed a trailer of what to expect in the new season, and also showed quite a few spoilers.
Overall, this was a good start to the season! I hope you all enjoyed reading this blog post, and I’ll see you all soon with the next episode!
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